I work regularly with businesses, and independent consultants, on their marketing communication strategies, including social media strategies. The first two key points I address with my clients (whether for traditional or online media) are: Continue reading “Are Your Social Media Efforts Addressing the Right Questions?”
Tag: Marketing
Small Businesses Avoiding LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest: Are They Missing Out?
A recent survey by VerticalResponse, a marketing software company indicates that while 90 percent of small businesses are on Facebook and 70 percent on Twitter, they’re not as eager to embrace social media sites like LinkedIn (only 4 percent!), Google+ (3 percent) or Pinterest (1 percent). Wow! (An infographic provides more detail.)
Personally, I’m a huge fan of LinkedIn, find Pinterest to be a very interesting concept (and have an article coming out soon in EContent about some unique ways content providers are using Pinterest), and don’t really “get” Google+, but my personal opinions really don’t matter here and, IMO, neither do these survey results. Continue reading “Small Businesses Avoiding LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest: Are They Missing Out?”
Markets Can’t Really Tell Us How They’re Influenced
I’m a proponent of marketing research and the use of data to drive business decisions at every level and in every aspect of organizational performance. I recognize, though, that sometimes the predictive value of research can be questionable and that it can be most useful to evaluate actual behaviors to support future decisions.
Advertising efforts are a good example of this. Continue reading “Markets Can’t Really Tell Us How They’re Influenced”
Overcoming Your Fears of Social Media
Contrary to popular belief not everybody is engaged in social media. In fact, recent Pew research reveals some surprising statistics about the level of engagement among various market segments. While their research suggests that 50 percent of adults do use social media, fully 50 percent do not. You may be among the non-engaged and, if you are, Continue reading “Overcoming Your Fears of Social Media”
Take the Time to Plan!
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll reveal a personal “pet peeve” right up front. I have a strong negative reaction any time I’m approached by someone – colleague, client, prospective client, etc. – who says: “Let’s do…” without having taken the time to develop a plan (even a very quick and abbreviated plan) to help them determine whether the thing they wish to do makes sense within some larger context.
Here’s a 10-step process to developing communication/marketing plans that will provide you with the direction you need.
Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
I’ve worked in marketing for a number of years with clients with both large and small budgets and with a number of not-for-profit organizations that typically need to keep costs down. My personal approach to marketing, regardless of budget, is to always strive to “get the most, for the least” (in terms of time/money/effort). And, in truth, these days most organizations’ budgets are dwindling so less is definitely more!
Foundationally, I feel the key to marketing on a small budget (or large budget, for that matter) is to have Continue reading “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget”
Talking Baby Ads Working, but E*Trade Not So Much – How Does That Work?
I recently read a very interesting–and puzzling–article in AdvertisingAge about E*Trade’s recent management shakeup. The company is apparently searching for a new CEO after unexpectedly parting with its current CEO in August. The article goes on to talk about the company’s stock slump and general poor performance. The surprising part, to me, is that Continue reading “Talking Baby Ads Working, but E*Trade Not So Much – How Does That Work?”
How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Web Site
Most businesses today have a web site. Once that web site has been up and active for a while, they often wonder whether their site is as effective as it might be. We work with a number of clients to help develop, position, evaluate and improve their web sites from a content standpoint Continue reading “How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Web Site”
Ramp Up Your Email Marketing Effectiveness
I did an interview recently with a reporter who was looking for tips on email marketing effectiveness. Whenever I do this type of thing, or write bout email or Internet marketing, or even *think* about email or Internet marketing, I’m always struck with how very much the *same* online marketing is to traditional marketing. The tools may be different. The reach may be different. But the bottom line, by and large, is that the techniques Continue reading “Ramp Up Your Email Marketing Effectiveness”
Are MARCOM Professionals Out of Touch? CEOs Think So, and I Tend to Agree.
Newsflash: according to a recent survey from Fournaise Marketing Group, 70% of the CEOs surveyed said that marketers and communicators are disconnected from business results and living “too much in their creative and social media bubble.”
Now, I appreciate the numbers being tied to this reported sentiment, and I do love surveys, but as a marketing communications (MARCOM) professional for a number of years I have to say that this is not really shocking information. Those of us in MARCOM know this; we’ve known it for a long time. Ironically, though, too few of us Continue reading “Are MARCOM Professionals Out of Touch? CEOs Think So, and I Tend to Agree.”